2025 Grant Recipients

Below are the 14 recipients of our 2025 Impetus Grants, listed alphabetically. There are 13 full grant recipients and 1 partial grant recipient. Girls on the Run received the next greatest amount of member votes after the 13 full grants were awarded. They will receive a partial grant of $11,000.

We are pleased to announce that Impetus Grant recipient Sebastiani Theatre Foundation will also be awarded a $25,000 Encore Grant in early 2026. Total amount of grant funds awarded was $350,000.

Information about each of the recipients includes the organization's mission statement and a brief summary of their proposal. You will also see the requested grant amount, the type of support it will provide, and primary and secondary focus area of the proposal.

See a listing of past grant recipients

Cumulative Grant Recipient Spreadsheet

10,000 Degrees

IMPETUS

$25,000 for: College Tour Program 

To provide college tour transportation and related expenses for Sonoma Valley high school students from low-income backgrounds seeking to attend college, and to support the salary of Fellows who work directly with these students

Mission: 10,000 Degrees supports students from low-income backgrounds to and through college so that they can reach their full potential and make a positive impact on their communities and beyond. We envision a world where all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic background, have access to the full range of educational opportunities.

Type of Support: Programmatic or Project Needs

Focus Area(s): 1. Education 2. Human and Social Services

Proposal Summary: This proposal supports Sonoma Valley students from low-income backgrounds – including those who are undocumented – who dream of earning a college degree. The Impetus Grant will enable 10,000 Degrees to take students on college campus tours. Students report that the tours are exciting and transformative, enabling them to see themselves as college students. Tour programming enriches 10,000 Degrees’ offerings and strengthens the college-going mindset of Sonoma Valley students. The grant also will support the work of 10,000 Degrees Fellows, many of whom are alumni of the program, who work directly with Sonoma Valley high school and college students to provide the wraparound support they need to succeed and thrive. 

Website: www.10000degrees.org

Cancer Support Sonoma

IMPETUS

$25,000 for: Client Services Expansion

To provide financial support for a dedicated Client Navigator who will assist in client outreach and intake, including to more diverse communities; to provide new classes to enhance client well-being; and to provide financial assistance for lower income clients

Mission: Cancer Support Sonoma (CSS) is dedicated to providing support services for people diagnosed with cancer living in the greater Sonoma Valley and adjoining areas. Whether newly diagnosed, in treatment, in recovery, or entering end-of-life, we offer physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual comfort to every client in need, regardless of ability to pay.

Type of Support: Capacity Building or Infrastructure Support

Focus Area(s): 1. Health 2. Human and Social Services

Proposal Summary:  In recent years, CSS has substantially increased the number of clients served and of services provided, and broadened its range of service offerings. To effectively manage and build on this growth, CSS will use Impetus Grant funds to hire a part-time, dedicated Client Navigator who will perform initial client intake, assist with educational outreach, and provide referrals to outside resources. Grant funds also will  enable CSS to offer new classes to support client well being, and to provide more low-income clients with financial assistance for accessing CSS services.

Website: www.cancersupportsonoma.org

Career Technical Education Foundation

IMPETUS

$25,000 for: Expanding Connected Learning Opportunities for Sonoma Valley Students 

To support career technical education programs at Sonoma Valley High School and Hanna Academy that integrate academics with technical skills, career exploration and soft skills development for post-graduation success

Mission: Career Technical Education Foundation, founded in 2012, innovates the education-to-career experience to support student success. We invest in connected learning -- practices that align academics, careers, and ambition -- to prepare students for life after high school. Goals include transforming education to equitably prepare Sonoma County students, reshaping perceptions of readiness, and ensuring access to high-quality pathways that align passion, skills, and career aspirations.

Type of Support: Programmatic or Project Needs

Focus Area(s): 1. Education 

Proposal Summary: CTEF has made significant investments at Sonoma Valley High School and Hanna Academy by providing funding, technical assistance, and program development to expand career technical education (CTE) opportunities. At Sonoma Valley High School (SVHS), grant funds will support the purchase of new production equipment to enhance the Digital Media Arts course, as well as transportation for equitable access to CTE experiences, including employer site visits and post-secondary institution tours. At Hanna Academy, grant funds will enable CTEF to support innovative CTE programs that integrate academics with technical skills, career exploration, internships, and certifications. These initiatives promote equity and career readiness, helping students overcome barriers and achieve success after graduation. 

Website: https://ctesonomacounty.org/

Girl Scouts of Northern California

IMPETUS

$25,000 for: STEM Program for Sonoma Valley Girls

To remove economic barriers to a program that introduces Sonoma Valley girls to the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), and Robotics – where women are consistently underrepresented – in an environment that encourages them to try new things with confidence

Mission: Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Founded in 1912, Girl Scouts of the USA is the preeminent leadership development organization for youth ages 5 to 17 (grades K through 12).  

Type of Support: Programmatic or Project Needs

Focus Area(s): 1. Education  2. Health and Human Services

Proposal Summary: The grant will support two years of a STEM and robotics program for Sonoma Valley girls in grades 4 through 8. It is volunteer-run and Girls Scouts of Northern California (GSNorCal) staff-supported, and encourages families to participate, as well. This strong academic program includes programming, coding and building, as well as problem solving, teamwork, and presentation and leadership skills. It addresses a significant gender gap in STEM and has proven pathways to success. It provides a unique and inspiring experience, located in the “maker” area of Sonoma Valley High School, that could ultimately shape these girls’ decisions about what they will focus on in school and beyond.   

Website: https://www.gsnorcal.org/

Girls on the Run

IMPETUS (Girls on the Run received a partial grant of $11,000. Although this grant is unrestricted, the funds must be spent in Sonoma Valley).

$11,000 for: Girls’ After-School Program at El Verano School

To support a transformative after-school program in the fall and spring that empowers girls to build strong social and emotional skills and increases their level of physical activity

Type of Support: Programmatic or Project Needs   

Focus Area(s): 1. Education 2. Health 

Mission: Girls on the Run provides an inclusive, fun, girl-empowerment program that builds resilience through creatively combining social, emotional, and physical health. Girls on the Run inspires Sonoma Valley girls ages 8 to 13 to be confident, healthy, caring, and joyful.

Proposal Summary: Girls on the Run offers an eight-week after-school program at El Verano School in both the fall and spring. Most participants come from underserved communities, and cutbacks have reduced the school’s ability to pay for the program. This grant will allow Girls on the Run to offer the program in fall 2025 and spring 2026 at El Verano.  Funds will cover a portion of the costs of staff coaching, participant workbooks, water bottles, snacks, T-shirts, medals, volunteer recruitment, background checks, insurance, and  staff to recruit, train, and support volunteers for both seasons.

Website: https://www.gotrnorthbay.org

HomeFirst Services of Santa Clara County

IMPETUS

$25,000 for: Sonoma Valley HOPE (Housing Opportunities for Everyone)

To support costs related to obtaining/maintaining permanent housing, such as rent, security deposits, moving, transportation and other basic needs, for vulnerable individuals and families in Sonoma Valley

Mission: Every day, HomeFirst works to end homelessness by providing a full spectrum of services to help people find a home, improve their lives, and stay housed. We envision a community where everyone has a home.

Type of Support: Programmatic or Project Needs

Focus Area(s): 1. Human and Social Services  2.Health

Proposal Summary: HomeFirst, a well-established housing advocate in the South Bay, has brought its programs to Sonoma County.  The HOPE (Housing Opportunities for Everyone) program in Sonoma Valley offers support services to local participants seeking permanent housing.  The range of available services includes case management, housing search and placement, self-sufficiency and wellness workshops, and clinical behavioral health services. Grant funds will provide a much-needed infusion of direct financial assistance to help some of our community’s most vulnerable residents achieve housing stability.

Website: https://www.homefirstscc.org/

Pets Lifeline

IMPETUS  

$25,000 for: Companion Care: Veterinary and Essential Support for Sonoma Senior Citizens and Their Pets

To provide veterinary care, food, and essential supplies so that seniors with limited access to resources can keep their pets at home

Mission: Pets Lifeline works to protect and improve the lives of Sonoma Valley’s dogs and cats in need through sheltering and adoption, humane education, and community programs.

Type of Support: Health and Social Services

Focus Area(s): 1. Adults (Seniors)  2. Pets

Proposal Summary: Sonoma Valley senior citizens often face financial challenges and limited access to resources, making it difficult to meet their pets’ essential needs. Pets provide companionship and emotional support, reduce loneliness, and offer mental stimulation, yet economic and resource constraints can force some seniors to surrender their beloved companions to shelters.  Collaborating with Siesta Senior Apartments and Totem Small Animal, Pets Lifeline will use grant funds to deliver subsidized veterinary services, pet food, and other essential supplies directly to approximately 300 households, empowering seniors to keep their pets at home and enhancing the well-being of both. 

Website: www.petslifeline.org

Redwood Empire Food Bank

IMPETUS

$ 25,000 for: Feeding Sonoma Valley

To continue providing critical hunger relief services throughout Sonoma Valley to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity

Mission: Redwood Empire Food Bank (REFB) works to end hunger in our community by having a robust, innovative, and responsive emergency food system in place for anyone in need.

Type of Support: Programmatic or Project Needs 

Focus Area(s): 1. Human and Social Services  2. Health

Proposal Summary:  Grant funds will support continuing critical hunger relief services to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity throughout Sonoma Valley. REFB operates food distributions on a weekly, twice monthly, or monthly basis at 12 Sonoma Valley sites. Each time someone attends a distribution, they receive a provision containing enough fresh California produce, meat and vegetarian protein, dairy, eggs, bread, and shelf-stable goods to make the equivalent of 29 meals. Funding will help keep healthy whole foods easily accessible to all in need of assistance in Sonoma Valley.

Website: http://www.refb.org/

Sebastiani Theatre Foundation

IMPETUS/ENCORE  (In 2026, Sebastiani Theatre will receive an Encore Grant of $25,000)

$25,000 for: Helping the Sebastiani Theatre Fly!

To support the renovation of the aging stage grid/rigging system at Sonoma’s treasured, historic theatre

Mission: The Sebastiani Theatre Foundation is dedicated to offering first-class performing arts, films, and creative educational programs that inspire and entertain the entire community while preserving and enhancing Sonoma’s treasured, historic theatre for the enjoyment of current and future generations.

Focus Area(s): 1. Arts, Culture and Humanities  2. Civic Engagement and Benefit

Type of Support: Capital Expenditures

Proposal Summary: The Sebastiani Theatre’s rigging system, often referred to as a Fly System, supports the lighting instruments, backdrops, movie screens, curtains, and other movable hardware used in live performances. The Fly System must be modernized to ensure that the theatre provides a safe and secure environment for actors, dancers, staff, and others using the facility. With an updated Fly System, the theatre also will be able to expand options for stage productions. The future of the theatre lies in its ability to continue to attract and deliver live performances, including many thriving programs and camps that provide the community’s youth with opportunities to participate in performance art. Grant funds will cover a portion of the cost of implementing the new Fly System, which will have a useful life of 25 to 30 years.

Encore Grant Summary: The estimated costs of the rigging design and structural work for the Fly System at the Sebastiani Theatre are approximately $60,000. The Impetus and Encore Grants together would fund most of this work, with the balance coming from other sources.

Website: www.sebastianitheatre.com

Sonoma Community Center

IMPETUS

$25,000 for: Capital Improvements for Community Capacity

To expand capacity for civic rentals and program usage and make upgrades for safety and efficiency

Mission: The Sonoma Community Center (SCC) works to create extraordinary artistic, cultural, and learning experiences that enrich our diverse community.

Focus Area(s): 1. Arts, Culture and Humanities 2. Civic Engagement and Benefit

Type of Support: Capital Expenditures

Proposal Summary:  To better serve Sonoma Valley, SCC must expand capacity by adding a space for youth and family programming, and by increasing space for low-cost rentals for civic and community use. SCCalso needs upgrades for safety and efficiency.  Grant funds will help to meet the first need by transforming an office into a youth and family programs room and a community rental space. To better ensure community safety, law enforcement has advised SCC to install security cameras at strategic sites on campus and an internal intercom system in each room. Grant funds will go toward security improvements, which will satisfy the second need and allow SCC to safely accommodate more classes, workshops, community organizations, and events. 

Website: http://sonomacommunitycenter.org/

Sonoma Ecology Center

IMPETUS   

$14,000 for: Outdoor Gear Lending Library for Students

To establish an Outdoor Gear Lending Library at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park to ensure equitable access to outdoor education for K through12 students

Type of Support: Capacity building or infrastructure support   

Focus Area(s): 1. Ecology, Environment, and Animals  2. Education

Mission: The Sonoma Ecology Center (SEC) works with the community to identify and lead actions that achieve and sustain ecological health in Sonoma Valley.

Proposal Summary: SEC is launching the Environmental Education Outdoor Gear Lending Library at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park to ensure equitable access to outdoor education for K through 12 students in Sonoma Valley. Lack of camping gear is a significant barrier to immersive outdoor experiences. The library will provide durable equipment such as sleeping bags and tents, enabling all students, regardless of socio-economic background, to connect with nature.

Why this proposal?: Since 2002, SEC has brought environmental education into Sonoma Valley elementary schools. Each grade level follows a unique curriculum, and the program’s highlight is an overnight camping trip at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park. Every year, SEC hosts at least 600 local fifth- and sixth-graders for this experience. High costs of camping gear create financial barriers for schools and families, limiting participation. Currently, educators must rely on an Oakland-based gear library, which poses logistical challenges, delays, and limited availability. Establishing a local camping gear lending library at Sugarloaf will provide a sustainable, local solution that removes financial and logistical barriers to outdoor environmental learning and experiences.

Website: http://www.sonomaecologycenter.org/

Sonoma Valley Health and Recreation Association /Sonoma Splash

IMPETUS

$25,000 for: Low Cost Learn to Swim Program

To provide low-cost swim lessons for youth and adults who would otherwise not be able to afford participation

Type of Support: Programmatic or Project Needs          

Focus Area(s): 1. Health  2. Human and Social Services

Mission: The Sonoma Valley Health and Recreation Association (Sonoma Splash) is dedicated to providing all Sonoma Valley residents affordable access to aquatics education and safety, water recreation and fitness, physical therapy, and family fun in a sustainable, state-of-the-art aquatic and recreation facility.

Proposal Summary: The "Make A Splash" Learn to Swim Program will provide low-cost swim lessons for 96 youth and adults in Sonoma Valley who would otherwise be unable to afford to participate.  The Program will span eight weeks, and cover 75 to 90 percent of standard lesson fees. Sonoma Splash will offer reduced-cost Family or Individual Swim Passes to those who complete a full session of lessons to encourage families and individuals to practice and enjoy their newly developed aquatic skills. Sonoma Splash will market the program at La Luz Center, Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley, Vintage House, and other community organizations.

Website: http://sonomasplash.org/

Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance

IMPETUS 

$25,000 for: Enrichment Programming for Youth Mentees

To provide group enrichment activities, including a career component that will introduce mentees to local businesses and trade fields, and help them imagine and prepare for bright futures

Type of Support: Programmatic or Project Needs          

Focus Area(s): 1. Education, Arts, Culture, and Humanities

Mission: The Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance builds long-term mentor relationships between youth and caring adults. Mentors help their mentees visualize and work toward achieving their full potential. Mentors guide their mentees throughout their school years, introducing them to experiences and opportunities that specifically address their developmental needs. Upon graduating from high school, mentees have developed a plan for their young adult lives.

Proposal Summary: Each year, in addition to weekly mentoring sessions, the Mentoring Alliance hosts more than 75 diverse, enrichment activities for underserved students in grades K through12. These activities focus on mentees’ developmental needs, social and emotional well-being, and future planning. The Mentoring Alliance designs and funds these programs to ensure that a mentee’s participation is not dependent on their mentor’s financial status. The programming includes a wide range of activities, such as art and cooking classes, fitness experiences like bike rides and hiking, and large group outings such as mini-golf and bowling. A career component introduces high school students to local businesses, including Sonoma Valley Hospital, hotels such as the Fairmont and Marriott, and trades such as plumbing and construction.

Website: http://www.sonomamentoring.org/

Valley of the Moon Observatory Association

IMPETUS

$25,000 for: Observatory Building Accessibility and Improvement Project

To ensure a safe and accessible environment for all visitors to experience the wonders of the night sky by rebuilding the decks, ramps and railings at the Robert Ferguson Observatory in Sugarloaf Ridge State Park

Type of Support: Capital expenditures    

Focus Area(s): 1. Education  2. Ecology, Environment, and Animals

Mission: The Valley of the Moon Observatory Association (VMOA) comprises volunteer amateur and professional astronomers plus a small supporting staff organized as a nonprofit association to provide educational programs about science and astronomy for students, the public, and in support of educators.

Proposal Summary: Each year Sonoma Valley children, students, and families attend educational programs and community events at the observatory. There is a critical need to rebuild the decks, ramps, and railings around it to ensure visitor safety, allow for space and comfortable entrance and egress, and ensure that people of all ages and abilities, including those in wheelchairs, have access to observatory events. This grant, together with other funds raised by VMOA, will enable upgrades designed to make the facility viable and safe for the next 30+ years. 

Website: http://www.rfo.org/